Wheeled suitcase equipped with a seat for a small child

ABSTRACT

The wheeled suitcase, particularly having dimensions that make it useful as hand luggage, is provided with, resting on its top wall, a preferably fold-away seat ( 2, 3 ) in which it is possible to place the small child (B) who is held securely in place by means of straps ( 6, 6 ′) in such a way that the said suitcase can also be used temporarily as a pram.

[0001] Getting a small child around an airport or railway station is anextremely problematical operation if it has to be performed by oneperson alone even with very little baggage.

[0002] It is an object of the invention to solve this significantproblem with the following idea for a solution. There are in existencesuitcases of small dimensions that form part of the so-called handluggage that can be taken on board the aircraft by the passenger, whichcan be pulled along on wheels and have a telescopic shaft which isextended when the suitcase is being rolled along on its own wheels butis pushed down when the suitcase is to be deposited in the luggage rackor lifted up and carried by the other handles with which it is usuallyprovided. Such suitcases are commercially available, both rigid andsemirigid, and strong enough to be able to support not only the weightof the objects stored in them but also that of an additional load, suchas a large bag, which is usually placed on the actual suitcase againstthe shafts. The idea for a solution on which the innovation is basedconsists in fitting in a fixed or removable manner to the top of awheeled suitcase, particularly one of permitted hand-luggage dimensions,and in such a way that it can be used until the moment of boarding, apreferably fold-away seat on which the small child can be placed, thechild being held in position by means of safety belts, and the said seatbeing located in a position such that the said child can use thetelescopic shaft or shafts of the suitcase directly or indirectly as ameans of support for the back or as a handle for the hands to hold onto.

[0003] With this solution, a single person can without difficultytransport a small child, an improved small wheeled suitcase as statedabove and also, if necessary, a larger wheeled suitcase and cannegotiate all operations of getting onto and off the vehicle withrelative ease.

[0004] Other features of the invention, and the advantages it offers,will be seen in the following description which refers to the figures ofthe attached sheets of drawings, in which:

[0005]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved suitcase according tothe innovation, in the condition of use in which the guide shaft orshafts are being used as a support for the backrest of the seat fittedto the said suitcase;

[0006]FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the suitcase as in FIG. 1, with the seatfolded away in different positions for storage or for carrying thesuitcase by means of the various hands with which it is provided; and

[0007]FIG. 4 is a side view of an improved suitcase according to theinnovation, in the condition of use in which the child is holding ontothe guide shaft or shafts as a means of support.

[0008]FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show schematically a semirigid wheeled suitcase Vof the type produced for example by Samsonite (registered trademark),reinforced both internally and externally by a very strong frame andhaving sturdy wheels R at the ends of a large lower side, while on thecorresponding top side it has a handle M connected to one or twoparallel telescopic shafts S, which if required can be extended from thesaid frame internal to the suitcase to allow the latter to be rolledalong on the said wheels R. Parallel to and at a short distance from thehandle M when lowered, the suitcase has on top a rigid crossmember Twhich forms part of the said reinforcing frame or may be fixed to it. Ashort distance from this crossmember T, the suitcase has in the centreof the top wall a retractable handle M1 and auxiliary handles M2 areprovided centrally on one or both vertical sides of the suitcase V.

[0009] In a suitcase of this type or in similar suitcases, includingthose of rigid type, the innovation provides for the optionally hingedattachment to the crossmember T, by means of hinges 1, of a seat basepart 2 that rests on the top wall of the suitcase, and at least onebackrest part 3 of limited height that can be positioned for usevertically, resting against the shafts S, to which it can preferably befixed temporarily, as for example with a spring-loaded action withelastic forks or with small Velcro tapes, not illustrated in thedrawings. In the present example, a vertical extension 103 is hinged bymeans of external hinges 4 to the backrest part 3 and remains in stablealignment with the part 3 when raised, so that it does not require meansof fixing it to the shafts S because in the raised position the bottomedge of this extension rests on the top edge of the backrest 3 and itcannot therefore rotate downwards. A small child B can be comfortablyseated and carried on the structure 2, 3, 103 with his or her backresting against the components 3, 103. If necessary, the seat base part2 can be connected to the backrest 3 by means of flexible straps orjointed parts 5 that form effective containment walls for the child Bwho is held on the resulting seat by means of straps 6 arranged in anysuitable way, such as being anchored at one end to the hinges 1. Thestraps 6 may for example cross over in front of the child's chest andmay for example be designed to be able to be connected to each otherbehind the shafts S, for example by quick-release means.

[0010] As FIG. 2 shows, when the seat is not in use, the backrest part3, 103 can be folded down to save space on the seat base part 2 and thewhole can stay resting on the top wall of the suitcase if the suitcaseis to be transported by means of the shafts and handle M or by means ofthe side handles M2. If, on the other hand, the case is to betransported by means of the top handle M1, the assembly 2, 3, 103 can berotated on the hinges 1 and can be placed against the lowered shafts S,as illustrated in the example of, FIG. 3.

[0011] In the version shown in FIG. 4, the seat 2 is connected to thecrossmember T by means of for example the usual hinges 1 which allowaccess to the top handle M1 as noted earlier with reference to FIG. 3,whereas, unlike the previous version, the seat is now hinged on the sidefurthest from that connected to the said crossmember T, by means offurther hinges 7, to the backrest part 3 which is connected to the seatat the sides by means of the flexible or jointed walls 5 referred toearlier. These walls 5 act not only as lateral containment parts but cannow function as means for stabilizing the position of the backrest whenin use. The child B sitting on the seat 2, 3, 5 in FIG. 4 is now facingforwards towards the shafts S, with his or her legs either side of orbetween these shafts and able to grip the shafts securely with his orher hands, even if the child is sufficiently securely attached to theseat 2 by suitable straps 6′.

[0012] It should be understood that suitable means may be provided tofasten together and to the suitcase the various component parts of theseat when the latter is in the position of rest as in FIGS. 2 and 3.Alternatively the seat may be fixed removably to the suitcase, forexample by means of clamps which may be fixed or anchored with orwithout play, to the lower part of the shafts S, in such a way that theseat of the innovation can be put in position when required but can alsobe removed and stored away compactly when not required. The fold-awayseat may optionally also be provided with a component of flexible or atany rate compactable material (not shown) for use as a footrest.

1. Wheeled suitcase characterized in that it is equipped with a seat (2,3), resting on the top wall of the said suitcase (V), in which seat (2,3) it is possible to place a small child (B) who is held securely inplace by means of straps (6, 106, 6′), in such a way that the suitcasecan also be used temporarily as a pram.
 2. Suitcase according to claim1, in which the seat (2, 3) can be folded away.
 3. Suitcase according toclaim 1, in which the seat is positioned with its backrest (3) facing,and at a suitable distance from, the shafts (S) of the said suitcase, insuch a way that the child can place his or her legs either side of orbetween the said shafts and can grasp them firmly in his or her hands.4. Suitcase according to claim 1, in which the seat is positioned withits backrest (3) resting against the lower part of the shafts (S) whichtherefore also take part of the weight of the seated child.
 5. Suitcaseaccording to claim 4, in which the seat comprises a seat base part (2)which rests on the top wall of the said suitcase and which is hinged bymeans of hinges (1) to a backrest part (3), which can be folded downonto the seat base and which in the raised position of use rests againstthe shafts of the said suitcase, means being provided for attaching anyone or more parts of the said seat to any suitable part of the suitcase(V).
 6. Suitcase according to claim 5, in which the hinges (1)connecting the seat base (2) to the backrest (3) are fixed directly orindirectly to an upper crossmember (T) that belongs to the stiffeningstructure of the suitcase (V) or that can be fixed to the latter. 7.Suitcase according to claim 5, in which the backrest part (3) isprovided with means for its removable connection to the shafts (S) ofthe said suitcase (V).
 8. Suitcase according to claim 5, in which thebackrest part (3) has dimensions such that when it is folded down ontothe seat base (2), it is wholly or largely within the projection in planview of this component.
 9. Suitcase according to claim 8, in which thereis hinged to the backrest part (3) by suitable hinges (4) on theopposite side from that hinged to the seat base part (2), an extension(103) which in the rest position folds down onto the rear face of thebackrest and in the use position is coplanar with said backrest, restingat the bottom on the latter and at the rear on the shafts (S) of thesuitcase (V).
 10. Suitcase according to claim 5, in which the seat basepart (2) can be connected at the sides to the backrest part (3) by meansof flexible or jointed bands (5) useful as means for lateral containmentof the seated child.
 11. Suitcase according to claim 5, in which theends of straps (6) with which it is possible to fasten the childsecurely to the said seat are anchored to the hinges (1) connecting theseat base part (2) to the backrest part (3) or to some other position ofthe seat near these hinges, and to the shafts (S).
 12. Suitcaseaccording to claim 6, in which the hinges (1) connecting the seat basepart (2) to the backrest part (3) and which connect the entire seat tothe said suitcase, are such as to allow the seat base itself to rotatetowards the shafts (S) when the handle (M1) on top of the suitcase (V)is to be used.
 13. Suitcase according to claim 3, characterized in thatit comprises a seat base part (2) that rests on the top wall of the saidsuitcase, that is attached by any suitable means (1) to any part of thesaid suitcase and that is hinged like a book on the side furthest fromthe shafts (S), by means of hinges (7), to a backrest part (3) that canbe folded down on to the said seat or that can be moved away angularlyfrom the latter by at least ninety degrees and means (5) being providedto keep the backrest in this position of use, while suitable belts (6′)are provided to hold the child on the seat constructed in this manner.14. Suitcase according to claim 2, characterized in that it is providedwith straps or other suitable means so that the various component partsof the seat can be secured in the fold-away position when this componentis not being used.
 15. Suitcase according to claim 1, characterized inthat it can be provided with a fold-away means useful as a footrest forthe child sitting on the seat fitted to the said suitcase (V).